Providing Isolation from Distractions

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a first interface for connecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting to a communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset, a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to route audio associated with a communications session on one of the personal computer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/684,829, filed on Apr. 13, 2015, which claimspriority to U.S. provisional application 61/979,120, filed Apr. 14,2014, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to personal audio devices that providecontext-sensitive isolation from distracting noises.

SUMMARY

In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes a first interface forconnecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting toa communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset,a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor incontrol of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to routeaudio associated with a communications session on one of the personalcomputer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response toa user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.

Implementations may include one or more of the following, in anycombination. The processor may be configured to, in response to the usertaking off the headset, mute the audio. The processor may also beconfigured to re-route the audio back to the speaker in response to theuser taking off the headset. The processor may be further configured to,in response to the communications device being connected to the secondinterface while a call is active on the communications device, re-routeaudio from an audio interface of the communications device to one of thespeaker or headset, and cause the personal computer to connect to thecall and cause the communications device to disconnect from the call.The processor may be further configured to cause the personal computerto connect to the call that is active on the communications device, andcause the communications device to disconnect from the call. Theprocessor may be further configured to cause the personal computer todisplay video associated with the call, and to transmit video from acamera local to the apparatus. The apparatus may include the camera. Thefirst interface includes an interface for receiving video images fromthe camera, the camera being connected to the personal computer. Theprocessor may be further configured to, while a call is active on thepersonal computer, re-route audio from an audio interface of thepersonal computer to one of the speaker or headset, and cause thecommunications device to connect to the call and cause the personalcomputer to disconnect from the call. The personal computer may be atablet computer. The communications device may be a second tabletcomputer. The communications device may be integrated into theapparatus. At least one of the first, second, third, or fourth interfacemay be a wireless interface, and the routing may be performed based onproximity between the device using the wireless interface and theapparatus. The speaker and the fourth interface may be internal to theapparatus.

In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes a first interface forconnecting to a headset, a second interface for connecting to a speaker,and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor isconfigured to route audio providing masking of the voice of a user ofthe headset to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on theheadset, activate a noise cancellation signal within the headset toreduce the amount of the privacy masking audio that reaches the ears ofthe user.

In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes a first interface forconnecting to an audio source, a second interface for connecting to anaudio output device, an external activity sensor input, and a processorin control of each of the interfaces and receiving the input. Theprocessor is configured to provide audio from the audio source to theaudio output device, and in response to receiving an input from theexternal activity sensor, modify the audio being provided to the audiooutput device.

Implementations may include one or more of the following, in anycombination. The external activity sensor may include a doorbell or anintruder sensor. The first interface and the audio source may beinternal to the apparatus. The audio source includes a stored isolationmasking sound, and the processor modifies the isolation masking sound bygradually reducing its level. The stored isolation masking sound may bestored in the headset, and provided to the apparatus to be modified. Theprocessor may also provide an alert sound after reducing the level ofthe masking sound. A do-not-disturb indicator may be in communicationwith the processor, with the processor configured to respond differentlyto the external activity sensor input based on an activation state ofthe do-not-disturb indicator. The do-not-disturb indicator may beactivated whenever the pre-determined type of audio is being provided bythe audio source. The predetermined type of audio may include isolationmasking or a phone call. A third interface may be included forconnecting to a computing device, with the do-not-disturb indicatoractivated whenever a particular software application is used on thecomputing device. The apparatus may have access to calendar data, withthe do-not-disturb indicator activated when the calendar data indicatesthat a user of the hub may have an activity scheduled. The processor maybe configured to cause the do-not-disturb indicator to change itsappearance in response to the external activity sensor input beingreceived while the do-not-disturb indicator may be active.

In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes a first interface forconnecting to a communications device, a second interface for connectingto an audio output device, and a processor in control of each of theinterfaces. The processor is configured to, upon initiation of amultiple-participant communication session through the communicationdevice, begin analyzing speech from remote participants of the sessionto produce a voice fingerprint for each remote participant, use aspeech-to-text process to identify likely text corresponding to eachparticipants' name, and associate the identified speech with the voicefingerprint produced for each corresponding participant When aparticipant speaks during the communication session a time subsequent tothe time their voice fingerprint and likely name was determined, theprocessor provides an indication to a user of the apparatus of thespeaking participant's likely name.

Advantages include providing a seamless interface into audio/videosources used in an individual workspace. The combination of the hub andheadset also provide a “virtual door” that people who work in open-planor cubicle work environments can use to facilitate productivity byisolating them from distractions when desired, signaling theiravailability (or not) for interruption, and providing a polite way ofgetting the wearer's attention. Isolation and signaling of availabilityare also beneficial in private offices. These functions enhanceproductivity and reduce stress as well as improving the effectiveness ofworkplace interactions, giving the user more control of theirenvironment

All examples and features mentioned above can be combined in anytechnically possible way. Other features and advantages will be apparentfrom the description and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a system of interconnected devices.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show process flows for devices and actions.

DESCRIPTION

Described below is a communications hub that simplifies the officeworkspace. By providing unified speakers and headphones, it seamlesslyenables the user to manage communications audio and video from acomputer, desk phone, or other communication device, and music fromtheir computer, smart phone, or other sources with a simple set ofintuitive controls. It also provides tools that reduce workplacedistractions to help the user stay focused while still giving themawareness of the activity going on around them.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a central hub 102 that issimultaneously connected to a workstation 104 such as a personalcomputer, a communication device 106 such as a cell phone, and a headset108. Although shown as a piece of hardware connected to the otherdevices by wires, the hub may also be implemented entirely as softwarein one or more of the devices. That software may be a dedicatedapplication, or it may be a service provided within another application,such as a connected device manager or communications software. A holder112 for the headset may monitor whether the headset is in use and mayprovide charging if the headset is battery-powered. The system may alsoinclude a desktop phone 114, which may be connected to a dedicatedtelecommunication network or may be, e.g., an IP phone using the samenetwork as the other devices for connectivity. The various connectionscan each be wired or wireless, using any standard connection thatcarries appropriate signals, such as USB, Bluetooth, WiFi, analogconnections, or proprietary interfaces.

The hub may also connect to an out-loud speaker 110 or it may beincorporated within such a speaker itself, or within one of the otherconnected devices, i.e., the workstation or communication device. Insome examples, the hub, the device on which the hub software is running,or another portable speaker (not shown) has speakers that are adequatefor out-loud listening, and the out-loud speaker 110 provides better orlouder sound quality when combined with the hub or portable speaker. Theout-loud speaker may also serve as a dock for the hub, charging it whenpresent, but allowing it to be removed and carried to other locations.This is particularly useful where the hub is integrated into a mobilephone or portable speaker. In some cases, the workstation and thecommunication device are both multi-function portable computers, and theonly real distinction between them is size, ownership, the networks theyare connected to, or the primary use that the user makes of each ofthem.

The headset may, in some cases, be an active noise reducing headset andalso preferably includes an ambient noise rejecting voice microphone(e.g., cardioid or dipole, or internal to the headset to reduce exposureto ambient noise). A directional microphone, which may include amicrophone array, may be included in the hub, one of the other devices,such as the workstation 104, or independently from the other devices, topick up the user's voice when not using the headset Through theworkstation, the headset or out-loud speaker and microphone can be usedto listen to music or the audio from video, or engage in calls, such asVoIP calls or video calls, made through the workstation. The headset andout-loud speaker may also be used with the desk phone. The headset orout-loud speaker and microphone are also used to listen to music orengage in calls on the communication device. The headset or speaker mayalso be used to listen to the audio associated with other video contenton the workstation or communication device. The hub allows the headsetor out-loud speaker and microphone to switch seamlessly between theworkstation, the phone, and the communication device, either to switchactivities or to transition a given activity from one device to theother, as described in several examples below. The hub also allows theuser to switch seamlessly between the headset, the out-loud speaker andmicrophone, and any interfaces built-in to the communication device fora given activity. In addition to being used for communication andentertainment, the headset is also used to reduce distraction from thevoices of people around the user, as also described in examples below.

In some examples, the hub includes a built-in user interface. The userinterface can provide control of music playback on the workstation orthe communications device. Various protocols exist for such control,depending on how the hub is connected to the other devices. For example,over a USB connection, keyboard commands could correspond to media keyson a keyboard or letter and number keys associated with particularcommands in software running on the workstation. Bluetooth providesremote control functions such as the audio-video remote control profile(AVRCP), serial port profile, and proprietary profiles. The userinterface may include a touch surface, using swiping gestures such asswiping to the right to skip a track, to the left to restart, tapping topause. The interface can also include a display of the music or maskingtrack being played, and can also provide caller ID information forphone, VoIP, or video calls.

Call Management

In one example, calls are automatically switched between the headset andother available interfaces. FIG. 2 shows an example process flow. Thehub (not shown) senses when the headset 202 has been picked up or,alternatively, placed on the head (arrow 204), as shown in the top row,and responds by causing audio from calls to automatically be routed tothe headset and muting the out-loud speaker 206, as shown in the secondrow, or the interface built-in to the communication device, i.e., atelephone receiver or mobile phone itself. Conversely, at the end of thecall, when the headset is removed (arrow 208), sometimes referred to as“doffed”, the out-loud speaker 206 remains muted, so that the audioisn't played out loud, bothering neighbors, unless the user manuallyun-mutes it, with an interface control 210. Similarly, if the user islistening to music or masking sounds through the headset (as describedbelow), when the headset is doffed, the music is paused (such as bytransmitting an appropriate remote control signal to whichever of theworkstation or communication device is providing it), as shown in thethird row, or the masking is muted, rather than being switched to thespeaker, again to avoid bothering neighbors. If the user takes off theheadset in the middle of a call, a status indicator to other users inthe call may automatically indicate that the user stepped away, as shownin the fourth row, until the user un-mutes the out-loud speaker or putsthe headset back on.

The sensing of whether the headset is being used may be accomplished byproviding a resting place for the headset, e.g., a pad to place it on orhook to hang it from, equipped with sensors. In other examples, thesensing may be done using sensors within the headset that signal back tothe hub, or by analyzing the signals being delivered to the headset, asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/231,524, filed Mar. 31,2014, incorporated here by reference. Of course, knowing whether theheadset is in use can also be used to automatically power the headset onand off, preserving battery power, for headsets that have batteries. Inactive headsets that use a wired connection to charge a battery forun-tethered use, knowing whether the headset is in use while using thewired connection can also control charging—only charging the headsetwhile it is not in use, for example, for safety reasons.

In one product-usage scenario, a user starts her day taking a conferencecall while driving to work. She gets to work and walks into the buildingwhile still on the call. Once in her cubicle, she taps a control on herhub to instantly transfer the call audio from her cellphone to the hub'sspeakers. She gets her laptop setup and takes the wireless headphonesoff the charging hook . They automatically power up and mute thespeakers when she puts them on. The hub switches the call from theuser's cellphone to a video call through her laptop. In some examples,the headphones provide binaural audio signals, matched with spatialinformation in the incoming call audio, for example as described in U.S.Patent application publication 2014/0126756, incorporated here byreference.

The remote team on the call informs the user of a problem they need helpsolving. The user asks her co-workers in the next cubicle to come helpher. When they arrive, she removes her headphones. They automaticallypower off and the call audio is now playing through the hub's speaker sothey can all discuss the problem with the remote team. They hear theremote team in stereo and can follow the conversation, even withmultiple people talking at the same time. The local team decides theyneed to use a large whiteboard in a nearby room. The user takes her hubwith them, to continue the conference in the nearby room. In addition tomaintaining the audio on the hub, the video call resumes on the room'sprojector, and the hub uses a video feed from a camera in the room toprovide local video to the remote participants. They soon find asolution and the user returns to her cubicle. The user puts herheadphones back on and resumes her meeting with the video portion on herworkstation monitor so as not to disturb others nearby.

The remote team is screen-sharing a document. The user wants to printit, and write comments while listening to the team collaborate. Withoutleaving the conversation, she walks to the printer. She taps the mutecontrol on her headphones so the noise of the printer doesn't interferewith the call. She un-mutes it quickly when someone on the call asks hera questions and then mutes again as she walks back to her desk.

A few minutes later the user interface on the hub indicates the SalesDirector is calling into the user's cellphone. The user asks the remoteteam to hang on a moment and taps the source selector on the unit toanswer her cellphone. The sales director has some important info for theteam and wants the user to bridge him into the video call. The hub joinsthe two calls and the sales director presents the information to theentire team then leaves the call.

Masking

In one example, to provide isolation from the distraction of nearbyconversations, such as co-workers in adjacent offices, cubicles, or openoffice environments, the hub provides an isolation masking signal thathas a spectrum matching the long-term average spectrum of human speech,adjusted for the attenuation response of the headset itself, asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/225,807, filed Mar. 26,2014, incorporated here by reference. The isolation signal may also beprovided by the headset itself, or, in some cases, the headset mayinform the hub of its attenuation response, or other identifyinginformation, so that the hub can tailor the isolation masking signal.This signal may be an equalized nature sound track. The track to be usedmay be one of several that the user can select The level of theisolation masking can be manually set or, as described in theabove-referenced application, the signal may be automatically adjustedto a level that is just loud enough to provide the desired isolation.The ambient noise measure needed for automatic masker level adjustmentcan come from a microphone on the headset or on the hub.

The hub's output management features may influence the sound of theisolation masking signal. For example, the hub switches the isolationmasking signal between the speaker and the headset based on whether theuser is wearing the headset. If masking is being played on the speakerand the user puts on the headset, the isolation masking sound isre-routed to the headset When the user takes the headset off, theisolation masking may be returned to the speaker, or it may be muted.When switching between the headset and speaker, the isolation maskingsound may be changed in level or spectrum to account for the differentmasking properties of sound played over the headset versus sound playedfrom the out-loud speaker. In some examples, the out-loud masking signalis not for the benefit of the user, but for those around her. Thisprivacy masking signal is tuned based on the user's voice, to mask hervoice against eavesdropping (intentional or accidental) by degradingintelligibility, as well as being masked against disturbing neighbors.The noise-reducing signals in the headset can at least partially removethe masking signal, so it doesn't distract the user herself.

In one product-usage scenario, three of the user's co-workers are havingan impromptu meeting in the next cubicle making it difficult for theuser to concentrate on her work. She puts on her wireless headphones andenables the isolation masking feature. She hears a trickling stream rampup in her headphones as the perceived sounds of her co-workers fadeaway. She decides she wants a different masking sound so she presses abutton on the hub to toggle through different sounds. The display showsthe name of each as she selects it She finds one called “At The Beach”and returns to work.

At the end of her day, the user doesn't feel fatigued even though shehas been wearing headphones for much of the time. She will be workingfrom home tomorrow so she packs her wireless headphones in with herlaptop and heads home for the day.

Doorbell and DND

In another example, a doorbell is mounted at the entrance to the users'scubicle or on the back of their chair. This can be used to signal theuser, when wearing the headset and listening to music, maskingdistractions, or on a call, that a visitor wants to interrupt them.

In combination with a doorbell, in some examples, a do-not-disturbindicator is provided, as shown in FIG. 3. The indicator can be a light302 or other user interface element on the headset, integrated into thedoorbell 304, or otherwise attached to something in the officeenvironment In the case of a light 302 on the headset, different colors(represented by angled lines in FIG. 3) may indicate status, ordifferent blink patterns of a monochrome light may be used. The user maymanually activate the do-not-disturb indicator 306 from the interfaceunit. In other examples, the do-not-disturb indicator controlled by theuser's status on a workplace collaboration system or calendar 308, orwhether they are on a call (phone, VoIP, video chat, etc.). In somecases, a third state, “away” is indicated when the user has beeninactive for some amount of time (or when the user manually set such astate. In this case, an indicator on the doorbell may light up, whilethe indicator on the headset will turn off, since no indicator is neededto know that a user of a headset is not using it In yet another example,the do-not-disturb indicator is automatically turned on when the useractivates the masking feature of the interface, and it may beautomatically canceled when the masking is turned off or the headset isdoffed. In preferred embodiments, the do-not-disturb indicator is mostlyautomatic, but the user can always manually override theautomatically-determined state.

In addition to or instead of a doorbell, a passive visitor detectionsystem may be used to alert the user. A sensor such as passive infra-red(PIR) or an ultrasonic pinger may be provided to detect a visitor. A PIRsensor may be mounted high, such as on the ceiling, so that it has anappropriate field of view. An ultrasonic sensor may be mounted on theout-loud speaker or interface and may even share transducers with it. Aninfra-red beam sensor may also be used, rather than a passive sensor.Another option would be a pressure sensor in the floor mat outside thecubicle. The visitor detection may respond as soon as someone isdetected behind the user or at the entrance to the workspace or it maywait for the visitor to hover a bit, so as to not falsely trigger everytime someone walks by.

Whatever technology is used, detection of a visitor can automaticallyalert the user to a visitor's presence, in the same manner as if thevisitor manually pressed the doorbell. In other examples, the detectionof a visitor causes the doorbell to flash or in some other way try toget the visitor's attention so that they see the user's status(do-not-disturb, or not) and are encouraged to use the doorbell to getthe user's attention.

If the doorbell is pressed or a visitor detected, the system can respondin various ways, including by muting any masking signals, muting orducking music, sounding a chime, or switching the headset from an activenoise reducing mode to an active hear-through mode (assuming that theheadset/interface connection allows the interface to control headsetmode). If do-not-disturb is selected, one or more of the methods ofnotification may be suppressed. If a visitor is going to ignore thedo-not-disturb status and bother the user anyway, it is preferable toalert the user in as gentle a way as possible so they can sociallymanage the interruption and avoid being startled. This may beaccomplished, for example, by slowly lowering the masking signal levelor the noise reduction of the headphones before sounding an alert, sothat the user notices the visitor without an abrupt change in the soundat their ears. In some cases, none of the methods of notification areused, and instead an indication is provided to the visitor, e.g., on thedoorbell, to reinforce the do-not-disturb status.

In one product-usage scenario, when the user enables a noise maskingfeature of her hub her availability indicator outside her cubicle/on herheadphones automatically switches to “Do Not Disturb” to let others knowshe needs to focus. A half hour later she is really in the zone when herco-worker drops by to see what the user is up to for lunch. He doesn'tnotice that her Do Not Disturb indicator is on. As a coworker walks upto the user's work area he stops and knocks. Because the user has noisemasking enabled she is not aware that her co-worker is there. Theintrusion sensor detects the coworker's presence and alerts the userthat he is there. She gestures that she is busy so the coworker goesback to his desk to send her an email or text message instead.

Later, the user participates in a meeting through a video call. Afterthe call, the user returns to what she was working on before themeeting. She turns on the noise-masking feature but since she just wantsto mask out the noisy office she disables the Do Not Disturb indicatorand it switches to green indicating she is available.

Participant ID and Voice Location Virtualization

Being in the path of call-related audio, between the source of the calland the headset or speaker, the hub can provide additional features tothe user while in-call. In some examples, the hub employs voicefingerprinting to identify who is participating in a call and who iscurrently speaking. When the call starts, the user initiates a“Participant ID Mode” in which the hub listens to meeting participantsintroduce themselves. The hub creates a voice fingerprint for eachperson and also uses a speech-to-text routine to transcribe theirintroduction, associating the voice fingerprint with the name the personused. The hub may also use additional information, such as theparticipants listed on a meeting invitation for the call, to determinelikely names of speakers and refine the speech-to-text analysis. Onceall participants have introduced themselves, the user ends the setupprocess. During the rest of the call, the hub listens in and uses thevoice fingerprints to identify when a participant speaks, and showstheir name in some interface element, e.g., one built-in to the hub orin the user interface of the workstation or communications device. Thedevice used to show the speaker identification does not need to be thesame device handling the call itself.

When on a video call with more than one other person, if the PC's OS orvideo-conferencing software has an API that provides the location on themonitor of the window showing each person on the call, the interface canapply HRTF processing to each person's voice to approximately locatethem in relative azimuth to correspond with their face on the screen.The voice of the person on the left comes from the left.

In one product-usage scenario, the user has been listening to musicwhile working for the last hour through her headphones. Her calendaralerts her of an upcoming videoconference so she taps the meeting linkin her calendar to join. As she joins the meeting her camera is enabled,the audio transitions from her music to the call, and a soft diffuselight turns on lighting her face evenly without blinding her. Aseveryone announces themselves, the user's hub creates a list of meetingparticipants so she knows who is present and who is currently speaking.The availability indicator changes to “Do Not Disturb . . . I'm On ACall”.

In the next cubicle the user's co-worker is having an impromptu meetingbut the remote team is not distracted by the background noise because ofthe noise-rejecting microphone in the user's headset The remote teamsees the user's image on the screen in the conference room and becauseof the hub's camera tracking, the user remains centered and at the samesize even when she is moving around in his chair.

Embodiments of the systems and methods described above comprise computercomponents and computer-implemented steps that will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. For example, it should be understood by one of skillin the art that the computer-implemented steps may be stored ascomputer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium such as,for example, floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, Flash ROMS,nonvolatile ROM, and RAM. Furthermore, it should be understood by one ofskill in the art that the computer-executable instructions may beexecuted on a variety of processors such as, for example,microprocessors, digital signal processors, gate arrays, etc. For easeof exposition, not every step or element of the systems and methodsdescribed above is described herein as part of a computer system, butthose skilled in the art will recognize that each step or element mayhave a corresponding computer system or software component Such computersystem and/or software components are therefore enabled by describingtheir corresponding steps or elements (that is, their functionality),and are within the scope of the disclosure.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that additional modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein,and, accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a first interface forconnecting to a communications device; a second interface for connectingto an audio output device; and a processor in control of each of theinterfaces, and configured to: upon initiation of a multiple-participantcommunication session through the communication device, begin analyzingspeech from remote participants of the session to produce a voicefingerprint for each remote participant, use a speech-to-text process toidentify text corresponding to each participants' likely name, andassociate the identified text with the voice fingerprint produced foreach corresponding remote participant; and when a remote participantspeaks during the communication session at a time subsequent to the timetheir voice fingerprint and likely name was determined, provide anindication to a user of the apparatus of the speaking participant'slikely name.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication to theuser of the apparatus of the speaking participant's likely name isoutputted as text via a user interface in one of: the apparatus, thecommunications device, and the audio output device.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: access acalendar event associated with the multiple-participant communicationsession and determine names of participants listed on the calendarevent; and use the names of the participants listed on the calendarevent to identify text corresponding to each participants' likely name.4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device isintegrated into the apparatus.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theaudio output device is integrated into the apparatus.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second interfaces is awireless interface.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising ado-not-disturb indicator in communication with the processor, whereinthe processor is further configured to activate the do-not-disturbindicator upon initiation of the multiple-participant communicationsession.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to apply a head-related transfer function (HRTF) to eachremote participant's speech.
 9. An apparatus comprising: a firstinterface for connecting to a headset; a second interface for connectingto a speaker; a processor in control of each of the interfaces, andconfigured to: route a privacy masking signal to the speaker; and inresponse to a user putting on the headset, re-routing the privacymasking signal to the headset.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein theprivacy masking signal has a spectrum matching the long-term averagespectrum of human speech.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein whenthe privacy masking signal is re-routed to the headset, the processor isfurther configured to modify the privacy masking signal to account forattenuation characteristics of the headset.
 12. The apparatus of claim9, wherein when the privacy masking signal is re-routed to the headset,the processor is further configured to reduce a volume of the privacymasking signal.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising amicrophone configured to measure a level of ambient noise, and whereinthe processor is further configured to automatically adjust a volume ofthe privacy masking signal based on the level of ambient noise.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured tore-route the privacy masking signal to the speaker in response to theuser taking off the headset.
 15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein theprocessor is further configured to mute the privacy masking signal inresponse to the user taking off the headset.
 16. The apparatus of claim9, wherein when the privacy masking signal is re-routed to the headset,the processor is further configured to activate a noise cancellationsignal within the headset to reduce the amount of privacy masking audiothat reaches the user.
 17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the headsetcomprises: a microphone configured to measure a level of ambient noise;and a processor configured to automatically adjust a volume of theprivacy masking signal based on the level of ambient noise.